As the Dead Walk
by ShadeyMike
Summary: There all dead... all one of them. The moaning, the banging its madening when your about to end your life. How long before its over? No one knows. But the dead are walking among the land of the living... and our worst fears have come true. Bad at summarys


_Hello everyone ok, this story is taking place during the second season, but Davis and the others wont be involved till later, for now the story is only with Tai, Matt, TK, Sora, Mimi, Joe, Kari, and Izzy. Please don't flame, I know I'm not the best writer but I am getting better… don't hate me!!! Lol Ok so shall we continue?_

**Chapter 1: It's Over, Finally Over**

The sounds were coming again, the damned moaning. It was becoming an annoyance, it always means that times up and you have to move. But there wasn't anywhere to go, it was over. Time was up, the lives spent. He was bleeding horribly and found it hard to focus his eyes in the small room. The door blocked and the windows boarded, just like every other haven he had taken up. His body sat on the very last step in the room, was it a cellar? Who the hell knew anymore. He felt like crying, but what would his friends feel if they were watching him, weeping like a baby. But no they weren't there, gone, gone like everything else. Then another sound came, another sound he had gotten annoyed at, the banging. The constant slamming of there fists against the doorway, he couldn't take it, his mind was about to snap with there god forsaken banging and moaning.

He got up and looked around his surroundings; it was indeed a cellar, his hand throbbing with pain made his mind work on a quick clock. He snapped his neck left and right looking for any signs of movement, and for any amount of lucky there wasn't. He took a seat in the small wooden chair nearby and let out a soft groan, his hand felt like it was on fire. Then a small object became clear in his view, it was a video camera, the one thing he needed at the moment if this was his final hour. He picked it up and clicked a small button on the side, a little screen indicated that he had full battery and a bright light came from its tip. It shone on a mirror in the corner of the room and he finally could see himself clearly.

His spiky brown hair was clumped together, looking old and dirty. His eyes were hollow and seemed more like empty holes in his head, the green jacket and pants he wore were tattered and ripped. Blood stained onto his plain white t-shirt, his shoes were covered in mud and blood he couldn't tell what color they were anymore. Gauze was wrapped around his forehead looking like a blood stained bandana, a small wound on his lip from some random fall he had made along this journey. And his right hand gave him a horrible look of shock in his eyes he knew he had been bitten but he didn't know how badly. The skin on his wrists was pulled completely clean off, but the veins looked fine, even if he could see them, he wasn't going to bleed to death, something that seemed like a good idea at the moment.

"My god… do I really look like that?" he asked aloud in his hoarse voice, his lips were dry and his throat ached needing water.

He sighed and clicked another button on the camera the recording sign appearing on the top screen. He placed it down and faced it towards his chair that he sat in again. He gave a wave to the camera with his good hand.

"Hey there… I guess I shouldn't sound so happy. But I am glad it's finally over, finally… over," he whispered the last part." My name is Tai… and this is… is my final few minutes on this planet. I have come a long way in life and I don't want it to be over, but whatever caused this apocalypse has cut my life short. I'm sorry… to everyone I loved I let you down," as he spoke tears formed in the teen boys eyes, "My friends are dead, everyone I knew is dead and I couldn't do a damn thing to save them! I'm so fucking useless! I couldn't even save my little sister!" he was screaming now at the camera but he put his hand to his chest and sighed leaning back on the chair.

"I'm sorry… it's just a little too much to handle in such a short period of time. This tape… if anyone finds it, I want them to know this is not to played on any news channel. Because it isn't a hero tape, it's a suicide tape. My note spoke aloud." he let out a soft chuckle, "I don't know how long I have left but whatever I don't fucking care anymore. To whoever finds this, congratulations, you survived. You lived and can help start a new world. I just wish I could have saved a few people before my time came. I'm sorry to everyone… goodbye." he let out a small sob and clicked the tape off.

The damned moaning was coming again, it was maddening. Tai grinded his teeth together and slammed his hands to the floor. He wanted to silence them but he knew it would never stop. Even after they ripped his flesh apart it would never end, the moaning would echo on through his mind, his last sound, and the only sound he would ever hear again. It wouldn't take long for them to break it, the door was weak and he could hear the wood begin to crack. He sighed and reached into his pocket pulling out a small 9 mm pistol. Matt had given him this soon after they met up when all of this began. He had only half a clip left and there had to be fifty to a hundred of those fuckers there now. He would fight if he had the spirit which he didn't. With a groan Tai cocked the gun and but the tip of the silver death maker to his temple. His finger wrapped around the trigger.

"I lost… I lost… I'm sorry everyone, I'm so sorry." he whispered and looked to the ground.

There was a loud bang and then nothing. No more moans, no more banging, just nothing. And then he realized, with all of his might, it was over… finally over.

_Months Earlier_

Tai lay in his warm bed with the covers wrapped around his lower body; he wore baby blue t-shirt and long white jogging pants. He let out a loud groan and moved to face the small clock on his wall, 7 a.m. way to early to be getting up on a Saturday. His brown hair was ruffled and still stood up, a few locks falling in front of his eye he let out another groan and rose from his bed.

"Its not like I'll ever get to sleep anymore." grumbled the young teen as he threw his covers in a ball to the corner of his room and rummaged in a small black bag for something good to wear.

He grabbed his plain white t-shirt, green jacket, and green jeans and with that stumbled out of the hallway and into the bathroom. He could hear Kari's soft snore from her doorway and chuckled lightly. He removed his night clothes and placed his clean ones on the counter top, then turned the shower head on to its full strength and moved under the nice soothing warm water. He had grown some what muscular since his childhood in the Digital World. The muscles seemed to flex even though he did not, he nodded and let his hair become damp and hanging down behind his head. With a soft sigh he turned off the water and climbed out drying off and slipping the clean clothes onto his now more relaxed form.

As he exited the bathroom he noticed something very strange. There was no sound in the living room; usually his mother was cooking by now or at least watching television waiting for her son and daughters arrival. He walked out to the hard wooden floor and grumbled his comfortably warm feet now sliding on cold wooden floor. There was a note on the counter top

_Tai and Kari,_

_I am going out to the market and a few other errands today. So I wont be home till later this afternoon, there is leftovers in the fridge for breakfast. Tai for lunch you can take Kari down the street to the Teriyaki restaurant a few blocks away. And don't fight you to… I will be back later ok_

_Love you_

_Mom  
_

Tai sighed and placed the note on the counter so Kari could read it when she woke. He didn't feel like eating at the moment and slumped onto the coach to watch some good old TV. As he turned on the station he noticed another weird thing, all the channels had breaking news reports.

"Must be some kinds of train wreck… wonder how long this is going to take." he spoke aloud for no reason.

He flipped the channel and saw a young man he had remembered from one of his early college classes on the station. He knew the boy was a beginning anchor and he looked nervous, but for some reason Tai didn't believe he was nervous about reporting but the report itself. The small man spoke his soft shy like voice echoing against the mike.

"That's right Rina, there have been reported attacks in the downtown district for the past several hours. No one knows what is happening but I suggest everyone stay far away from the district as possible. We have gotten news from American reporters that similar attacks are forming all around the states, but in greater numbers. Some say it is global terrorism working on the human mind, or airborne virus that alters the normal person's mind. All I can say is that if you encounter a dangerous suspect run as far and as fast as you can, do not encounter them for the reports have told us that they attack without weapons but with bites and cuts. I don't know everything but warn everyone to stay inside there homes and lock the doors, board up there windows. And stay until notified."

And with that the little man was cut out of the picture. Tai sat there gawking at the screen he had no idea what was going on but something seemed to hit him in the stomach like a full blown punch. The downtown district was the market; his mother was in that dangerous area. He hurried to go out the front door when the phone began to rang. His throat became dry wondering who it was as he reached for the small cordless object hanging on the wall. His tanned skin almost became a few shades paler as he put the little white phone against his face and spoke in a shaky voice.

"H-h-hello?"

"Hey Tai its Sora." came the cheery voice of the one girl he had come to care about.

"Oh… hey how you doing, why are you calling so early?" he tried to make it sound as if he was tired so she wouldn't worry.

Tai felt idiotic at the way he had said the last couple words. He bit his lip hoping she wouldn't be offended by the tone in his voice.

"Oh umm I was just calling to tell you about the news and all of those strange attacks."

"I already know… thank you for caring." he smiled feeling a soft blush come to his cheeks.

He heard her laugh gently on the other line he sighed and leaned against the wall, "Tai I need to ask you something. I'm afraid to be here, those attacks just weirded me out and the news is making such a big deal about them." Her voice was smooth but she hides the terror in her mind very well.

Tai smiled gently and tried to hide his happiness that she wanted to come over as he spoke clearly, "Sure you can come over, just stay safe ok Sora."

"Ok thanks a lot. I will just tell Matt TK and Izzy to come over with me then." her voice made his heart pang a bit.

She had not talked to him first this early in the morning? Was he the last thought on her mind? But he shook those thoughts off and nodded hanging up the phone and sighing. He would have to wait for his friends to arrive before he began the search for his mother. Tai returned to the coach and turned the TV back on. This time a much older man was sitting down on a desk with a glass of water at his side. Tai rolled his eyes and watched anyway, knowing what this man was for already.

"So is there any racial separation to the attacks? Is this something like the Americans had many years ago?" asked a small voice not shown on the camera.

The older male shook his head and took a sip of water, "No this is something very strange. The attackers seem to have no real goal then to well plain and simple kill what they are searching for. These no bigotry in the attacks in fact it's more of there's no point to these attacks at all. From infants to the elderly these attackers don't seem to see the difference. It's disturbing and yet very interesting."

Tai grumbled and shook his head, this man did not care people were being murdered on the streets he's just wondering why it's not a racial fight. It was a stupid conversation that made him sick to his stomach. How can some one with so much knowledge not be able to assist his fellow man in surviving something so horrible? He grabbed the remote and clicked off the TV wondering why he turned it on in the first place it was simple, no one new what the hell was going on, not even the ones who are supposed to know.

The young man let out a soft sigh and leaned back on the coach his eyes now seeming heavy and painfully tired. He let out a rather loud yawn and blinked looking towards the hallway to see his younger sister walking out of her room pale as a sheet. Kari had his shade of brown hair but it was shoulder length and straightened. She wore a pink t-shirt that did not reach her belly button and light blue jeans. It was unusual to see her wearing anything but hot pants but today she wore the old tattered jeans he remembered her getting a few months ago. Her bare feet made a soft thud as she walked across the wooden floor. Tai became worried when she didn't even notice him sitting there she just looked straight foreword almost in a trance. He walked over to his young sister and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Kari? Are you ok?" he asked her in a soft almost more mature voice then his usual tone.

Kari shivered lightly and looked to him her face two shades paler then her normal color, "She's dead," were the only words she let out of her mouth before darting into Tai's arm and hiding her face in her chest.

"Who's dead? Kari what's wrong?" Tai spoke with wide shocked eyes as he put his arm around his sister trying to calm her down.

He could feel her crying into his t-shirt and saw small tear stains on his white shirt when she pulled away and looked up into his eyes.

"When I woke up I got a call from my friend Jenny's mom, saying Jenny was attacked. She sounded so frantic she said they broke into her house and attacked her." she whispered.

Tai gulped softly and looked down. Jenny had been a friend of Kari's for years even before Gatomon was even in the human world. Tai never really understood the young girl that had become a really good friend to his sister but he knew she was a good kid, and a friend to not only his sister but to most of the neighborhood. To think she was attacked felt like a soft blow to the chest. He put his arm around Kari trying to calm her down.

"I turned on the radio in my room, there's nothing but these news reports about random attacks on people. Tai, what's going on where's mom?" she asked her voice seeming to pick up a hint of fear.

"Mom's safe, she's in the market today, but we haven't gotten any calls talking about attacks." Tai felt horrible for not telling his sister that there Mother was actually in one of the most dangerous places around.

Kari nodded and walked over to the coach and sat in the exact spot that he had been a few moments ago. Tai could see the sadness in her eyes, the loss of a best friend was something Kari had never felt before. He couldn't just tell her not only is her friend dead but her mother is also in a deadly place. But the dead girl only lived a few blocks away, which meant the attackers or whatever the hell they are were getting closer. And if they could attack a person even in there own home then he needed something to protect himself with.

Tai walked into his room and reached in under his bed pulling out a metal bat he used to play base ball with years ago. It was dusty but heavy and could be used as a well balanced weapon in case attackers were coming to his house next. He had almost lost his sister twice in the past he was not going to lose her now. As he walked back into the main room the bat was at his side he sat next to Kari and looked at the blank TV.

"A few of my friends are going to be coming over you know Matt, Sora, Izzy, and TK to." He smiled wondering if the name of his sister's childhood crush would cheer her up.

Kari gave a faint smile and nodded. Tai let out a soft sigh and turned the TV on again, he never understood why, it was the same crap over and over. People didn't know what was happening so they made up any excuse for the reason they didn't know and expected the people to listen anyway. Then something came onto the screen that Tai had never seen before, it was a news station room. And there was a tired looking middle aged man sitting on the desk, but no papers at his side. He wasn't reading queue cards because his eyes kept looking down, he didn't even face the camera as he spoke.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this station is being turned over to the Emergency Broadcast network. But before I go I want to leave you with something I know the corporate leaders refuse to tell you. These are not living attackers… oh lord no. This is something far worse then global hysteria or global terrorism. The victims of the dead all die within hours of being bitten, scratched, or anything to deal with a wound delivered by an attacker. But after the bodies are deceased a state of reanimation takes over and the dead become living again. If you come in contact with one of these 'infected' be aware they will attack you no matter what you are, and try to devour your flesh. It's hard to believe I understand but as the dead walk among the living there's not much else I can tell you. I am sorry… this is the apocalypse and there is no survival… I'm sorry… goodnight."

And with that the middle aged man and his news station were blinked away and a beeping sound began to come from the system. It was the EBN something used in hours of tragedy. Tai sat there his mouth hanging open and his fingers gripped around the bat tightly, he could see his knuckles were white. Kari was just the same on grabbing her knee. Was this possible? Is it even likely? Could it be that the dead were coming back to life and eating human flesh? It was so hard to believe that a small chuckle fell from Tai's lips and he began to laugh softly but constantly. Kari just sat there looking down at the floor and he saw a small tear fall from her cheeks and to the floor below.

"Is it true Tai? Was that man telling the truth?" she looked up to him.

How should he know, he wasn't a genius, but it was normal for younger siblings to ask there elders about things they could not understand. Tai couldn't answer this question because he didn't know but he knew she needed something to help her ease it out.

"No… no, the man's crazy. Don't believe a word he says, he doesn't have proof." He spoke to her and gave her a soft smile.

But somewhere in the back of his mind he knew it was true. He had never seen anything so real in a news report since he was a child. It made him sick to think about it but he understood it, the dead might be coming back to life and eating the living. It was so crazy that somehow it was believable.

'My god… what is this world coming to.' he spoke in the back of his mind.

And then Tai got up with the bat in his hand and looked out to the door way to wait for his friends or his mother, or somebody other then the attackers.

_Ok it's not the best but I am sort of in a hurry to get this story started. Yes some mistakes were made but don't worry it will get better in time I promise. So R and R please. Till next time_

_Shady Mike_


End file.
